Contact-carrier for electric railways



(No Model.)

J. 0. LOVE. GONTAGT CARRIER FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS. No. 408,984. Patented Aug. 13, 1,889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

JOHN C. LOVE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CONTACT-CARRIER FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 408,984, dated August 13, 1889.

Application filed November 30, 1888. Serial No. 292,199" (No model.)

To a whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN 0. LOVE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Contact-Carriers for Electric Railways, of which the following is a specification. I

My invention consists of an improved contact-carrier for electrical railways, more particularly designed for use 011 electrical railways in which the line-conductors are carried in conduits. underground, such as illustrated in the patent granted to me April 17 1888, No. 381,395.

In the system illustrated in the said patent the line-conductors are carried in the upper part of the conduit, and contact-wheels on the carrier are pressed up against the under side of the line-conductors by the aid of springs, and also, if necessary, by the movement of the contact-carrier itself. In my patented contact-carrier the contact-wheels are mounted on a block carried by a vertical bar, which is adapted to travel through the top slot of the conduit, and the electrical connections from the contact wheels are made through conductors passing up through the center of the bar to the motor or motors on the car.

My present invention involves the same general principles, but is designed to obtain a more extended swing of the contact-arms upon their pivots, and to prevent short circuits, which would otherwise result from dirt or moisture falling down and collecting upon the carrier-block.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a vertical transverse section of a conduit and its line conductors with the contact-carrier in end elevation. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan of the contact-carrier, and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the center of a portion of the conduit and showing the contactcarrier in side elevation.

Although I have shown in the drawings only one form of conduit, it should be understood that the construction of the conduit forms no material part of my present invention.

The line-conductors D are carried by insulated bracketsd in the upper part of the conduit A, and in the present instance I have illustrated four of these lineconductors, two on each side of the slot. The contact-carrier consists of a block B, carried by a vertical bar F, suspended, preferably, in the manner described in my aforesaid patent, from the body of the car. This bar passes through a central opening in the block B, which is provided with a suitable guide I) for 'the bar, while springs s, interposed between the under side of the block and the flanged lower end f of the'bar F, tend to push the block B upward upon the bar, and consequently tend to push the contact-wheels carried by the block up into contact with the line-conductors. These contact-wheels J are mounted to turnin the outer ends of arms h, which are pivoted at their other ends to the under side of the block B. Electrical connection with the conductors 1, 2, 3, and 4, which are led up through the bar F to the motor on the car, is thus made at the under side of the block, where moisture and dirt cannot accumulate to cause short circuits. The contact-carrying arms 7L, being pivoted to the under side of the block, can swing upon their pivots up toward the line of conductors independently of the movement of the block itself or the bar which carries the block, and a pull-spring P, connected to the outer end of each arm h and to the block, tends to pull each wheel-carrying arm upward against the under side of the line-conductor. By this means I can obtain a longer swing of the arms carrying the contactwheels than when they are arranged as in my former patent.

' I prefer to use the stops 1) upon the block to prevent the wheelcarrying arms from descending too far.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination of the line-conductors of an electrical railway, a contactcarrier block, arms pivoted to the under side of said block and carrying contact-wheels, and pull springs to press the said wheels against the line-conductors.

2. The combination of the conduit of an name to this specification in the presence of electrical railway having line-conductors, two subscribing Witnesses. with a carrying-bar to be suspended from a car, a contact-carrying block thereon, and JOHN C. LOVE. 5 pull-springs to press the contacts against the \Vitnesses:

line-conductors, substantially as described. \VILLIAM D. CONNER,

In testimony whereof I have signed my HARRY SMITH. 

